oh, don't worry, the motor mounts are staying the same.

I have $20 saying that a simple oval port 396BBC swap won't net you a quicker ET than what your 310 is giving you now.

Unless you go with a huge cam and some seriously worked heads, your going to be disappointed.

I'll take that bet. I believe that even with the weight penalty of the big block, the torque #'s of a well built (read that-good combination) oval port big block will make so much more torque that with his 4:10 gear he would run around the 310 on the top end. The only problem I think you might create for yourself is putting it to the ground. With a nicely prepped set of heads and a well picked out camshaft, and a not to large primary tube header, the big block will easily move the camaro quicker. The 310 may leave better (lighter and better traction) but it won't take long for the big block to drive around it. This could turn into an interesting debate. Will you hurry up and get the motor done already!! Inquiring minds wanna know!

i think the 396 will get faster ETs . depends how he builds it?

Just to add some fuel to the fire. I blew the big, big block up one weekend just before the super chevy show at Norwalk. A buddy who is into big blocks had a bunch of stuff lying around and said if I wanted to put it together, I could run it at Norwalk. It ended up being an 11:1 440 ci oval port motor with an L88 cam and a holley strip dominator intake. My 850 carb (closer to 900) and my 2 1/8 hooker super comps (little large for this motor). As it turned out the block he had was a mismatched set of main caps and when the engine got to temp it lost oil pressure. The guy said "run it anyway" your only drag racing it so you don't need alot of temp in it. I ran the car in street trim. Mickey thompson super pro's 29X15.50 and 3 1/2 flowmasters and the car went consistant 11:20 @ 123 MPH. Started the quarter w/ 35 psi oil and finished w/ 5 psi!! Stick car w/ a dana 456. Couldn't stick the car but man it walked around people on the other end. Just an oval port (stock heads) L88 cammed 427.

I'm interested to see what he gets. We'll see.

Kind of an interesting comparison. The small block that almost nobody builds compared to the big block that almost nobody builds. Kind of fun watching these kinds of comparisons when its not coming out of MY bank account!

yeah, about that bank account...guys i hate to burst your eager bubbles, but this isn't happening till about winter time frame. you'l have to wait at least 6 months before i get her in the car.

i don't think it will have any problem producing enough power to net me some low 12's, high 11's, which is what i am looking for anyway. planning on running the comp cams xs274 cam with some comp magnum roller rockers and the heads will be ported as well.

Winter?! Your killing me! Couldn't we have started this thread in say..........February?!

lol! sorry man, funds are tight, but this is definitely the route i'm going, so don't worry! besides, like i said, i need all the suggestions and stuff i can get!

as for the mystery heads being aluminum...

Got a magnet?

uh im pretty sure their aluminum guys....i usually cant see it cause me motor has pulleys everywhere...i found one angle and their nice and shinny def. dont look cast iron to me ill try the magnent tommorow...and ill get a pic up hopefully to show u the nice silverness

but today i put a K&N filter on and used some octane booster and my **** feels niceeeee

magnet will stick to cast iron right and not to aluminum

That's the theory.

lol i guess so...only problem is its a very tigth squeeze to fit a magnet to my heads so many damn pulleys...im a take a pic real quick to show u the silverness

HAHAHAH YES!!! i jsut poked my head helal into my engine bay and the heads AINT stock!!! it says edelbrock!!!!! heres some pics
u can see the "..brock" kinda tilted in that pic

another

sweet . way to go!

so much for boring stock 23* cast iron heads huh?

no dout !

heres what it says on the heads...

edelbrock
performer
E.O. D-215-33
6090

any ideas as to what this means people? thanks

heres a clean updated pic! and the magnet did not stick....so im assuming their aluminum?

Edelbrock Performer aluminum heads, 64cc chambers, 170 cc intake ports, 2.02/1.60" valves.

thanks apeiron...im assuming these are good heads?

those are decent heads and have great potential! much better than most stock heads, but could always use a little porting to really be great heads.

They're at the lowest end of aftermarket aluminum heads, but still better than anything stock.

well i think thats what im'a do....once i get the money ill port them and rebuild them or something, throw in a bigger cam, new intake/carb and ill hopefully get a nice HP gain

these are vortec heads off my car.




as u can see or maybe not (so i attacted a better pic) the bolts are straight up instead of at an angle

Nice work. Looks good! Just a side note. The starter goes on the bottom side of the motor. I think you'll have a little trouble getting it to bolt up to anything there!!

i should probably tension the belt and attach coolant lines among other things.

Agreed! You might get a belt squeal with it like that! Are those new heads and an intake? I'd be interested to see if you notice an improvement. I've been reading about guys not feeling much difference after installing the SDPC TPI vortec kit. I have been contemplating that for mine L98 but I'm kind of "fence sitting" now.

thats new everything.

350HO GMPP crate motor

i figured out i didnt have vortec heads a while ago....but thanks for the pics looks good

thought id show you wat vortec heads look like.


the bolts at least.

yessss.. vortec heads... just put some on the car, but am having some trouble getting it to run right... we think that comp cams ground my cam wrong... but yeah, just to reiterate, vortecs use an entirely different intake bolt up pattern, as well as different water passages. but you figured that out as i can tell....

as for the bbc/sbc debate, i would love to see a 396 in a third gen. i havent ever seen one like that.... so it will be good to see something new!

Any pics of those 295/50/16’s?

here ya go:

http://thirdgen.org/techbb2/showthre...hreadid=306640

mw66nova

I know you want to build your 396 but I can give you a good deal on a 454 bare block and some Hi perf heads. These heads were on a low 10 sec car they have been professionally ported and polished not those cheap wanna be jobs you get for $300 to $500. The engine blew up and broke about 6 valves the springs are still good and the seats are too. The block has been clean and just been setting in the shop. You can get crank, pistons, and rods on ebay for $472 all rated over 500 hp. I'll sell both for $1000.
If your going to go big block please do it right. Those 396 heads are going to choke your performance it all about the heads!
Let me know if your interested.

actually i've been thinking about going to a larger motor, 427-454 range. only because the aftermarket support for the small bore 396 doesn't exist. even though the thought is to only make about 450hp and 500ftlbs, which would be EASY to do with the 396, that's probably not where i'll stop, and the heads will be a limiting factor pretty quick.

with that said, money is REALLY tight. after getting the paint done this week and all the guages and all the nickle and dime "do it right" things, i'm about broke. would you consider selling just the block?

427 427 427 427

502 502 502 502
GM crate motor. Power numbers your looking for AND aluminum heads!!
Now your back to small block chevy weight! Woo hoo!

i was guna say 502 too that would be bad ***

To reach that 450hp/500lbs with a 396 your going to need some real work done to those heads and then a cam thats not that streetable with a 454 its alot easier to make 1hp per cubic in. Also its would be more streetable with a lesser cam. Now as for the block i did a quick ruff measurement an got well over 4 inch bore, measured 4.366 with some calipers. I'll have to ask my dad what was it bored too. $300 for the block.

An I have to tell you, you won't get a set of heads for a big block that perform like these for the money. They were on a 10 sec car about $1800 in head work done to them. Just thought I put that out there. As for a parts for the block ebay has a crank for $169, pistons $153, and rods $153. You can make well over 500 hp with this engine.

i'm interested in the block. does it have matching mains? 2 bolt or 4 bolt (not that it REALLY matters) is it fresh and ready to assemble or is there honing to be done yet? the problem with buying heads now too is that i don't have the cash for all of it, and this way i can buy a block and get the shortblock ready. and if it sits on the stand for 6 months, so be it. i gotta buy headers/exhaust, intake, carb, dizzy, etc.

502 crate motor is WAY outta my price range. for that kinda money i could build something WAY more powerful.

lol

454 would be bad ***